Hundreds of children who manage their type 2 diabetes by regularly pricking their finger can now monitor their glucose levels using automated sensors, the government’s expert health advisers have announced.
Doctors and nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been advised they can now give glucose monitoring devices to children with type 2 diabetes who currently use the more intrusive finger-prick testing methods, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said on Thursday.
The health minister Helen Whately said that offering children the devices would relieve a burden and “empower them to manage their condition more easily”.
She said: “Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children, many of whom face the constant stress of needing to monitor their blood glucose levels by finger-prick testing – often multiple times a day – just to stay healthy and avoid complications.”
The Nice committee that reached the decision heard that children found finger pricking to check their glucose levels several times a day “burdensome”, “tiring” and “stressful”.
The devices, which give a continuous stream of real-time information on a smartphone, have already been recommended for children with type 1 diabetes, the genetic form of the disease.
They work by attaching a sensor to the body to monitor current and previous glucose levels. They predict where glucose levels are heading, meaning people can inject themselves with insulin to stabilise their levels if necessary.
Patients and their families are also able to choose an intermittently scanned glucose monitoring (isCGM) device – also known as flash monitoring – as an alternative to real-time devices.
Dr Judith Richardson, a programme director at Nice, said the new technology was “less invasive” and would enable children to “live happier and healthier lives”.
She said: “Improvements made in managing a child’s diabetes at an early stage can reduce the health impact of the condition later in their lives, and the potential impact on the health service.”
Prof Partha Kar, the national specialty adviser for diabetes at NHS England, said many children with type 2 diabetes had either a learning disability, special educational need or mental health issue.
“Asking these children to carry out finger-prick testing when non-invasive sensors are progressing to become standard care in diabetes is not right, so I am pleased these evidence-based recommendations have been made to offer this life-changing technology to them,” he said.
Nikki Joule, the policy manager at Diabetes UK, welcomed the availability of the new technology, adding that it was important that healthcare systems made plans to rapidly and equitably roll out the devices to eligible children.
The Nice guidance particularly recommends the technology for children with a disability that means they cannot monitor their blood glucose by finger-prick testing, who have to prick eight times or more a day, and have severe low blood sugar levels.
Anyone eligible should speak to their diabetes team to access real-time or flash monitors on prescription.
• This article was amended on 11 May 2023 to remove a description of type 1 diabetes as “a less aggressive form of the disease”.
